Who We Are
by Linzerj
Summary: "They were young, but they were still heroes." A collection of one shots spanning pre-season 1 to post-season 2 focusing on moments between members of the Team and League. Prompts are welcome. #12: Family. "Familial issues are fairly common amongst heroes, but still they manage to form their own little family."
1. Youngest Heroes

**Youngest Heroes**

They were young, but they were still heroes.

They had been trained by the best of the League, and could go toe to toe with them too. (It's happened; they all know that if push came to shove the League could be taken out by the kids they trained and outnumbered.)

One of them was already a member of the League - forgetting to tell them his real age of ten was one way to go about it - and another recently joined his mentor in the ranks of the heroes of Earth.

And as the rest of them look to the Hall and up toward where they know the Watchtower hovers they all know that someday they'll join the ranks as well.

Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad, the founders of the Team along with Superboy, stand proud with Miss Martian, Artemis, Zatanna, and Rocket - even if they are forced to remain in the shadows.

Someday they will step into the spotlight as new Justice League members, and hopefully new young heroes will be ready to take their places on the Young Justice team.


	2. Freshmen

**Freshmen**

Robin, Wonder Girl, Impulse, Blue Beetle, Static, and Beast Boy were the current freshmen of the team. The six were the youngest or the newest, and were thus the "underclassmen" when it came to ranks in the team. (Nightwing, Aqualad, Miss Martian, Superboy, and Tigress were obviously the seniors; Batgirl, Guardian, and Bumblebee were the juniors; Lagoon Boy was the lone sophomore, unless one counted Arsenal, who quit, Billy, who was an honorary member, or Lieutenant and Sergeant Marvel, who were thinking of rejoining soon.)

Usually, the freshmen would hang out together in the cave during off time. They trained extra hard, and performed to their best ability on missions - even when they had no idea as to what was happening. Conner didn't hate the freshmen at all - but he didn't like the idea of Nightwing putting the six on Alpha and sending them on a solo mission.

Because they were _freshmen_, darn it, and Conner felt like a big brother to Jaime and especially Gar. And he knew that if Wally were still around he wouldn't have wanted Bart on Alpha with kids barely older than he was... Truthfully the clone couldn't understand why Nightwing would let his own baby brother lead this team, especially after what happened with Jason.

But all freshman grow up, he realizes. As much as he dislikes it, this is the way things have to be.


	3. Faster

**Faster  
**

"I bet I'm faster than Flash."

"Bart, you're already faster than me; don't push it."

Superman chuckled as Barry shook his head, smiling. Within five minutes of meeting Bart, Wally had resigned to the fact that he was just slower than the Allen-Flashes. Conner and Billy were trying to convince him otherwise, while the rest of the team watched on with laughs and smiles.

"Well, let's see it!" Billy challenged suddenly. "Let's have a race, and settle this once and for all."

"Yeah," Conner agreed, to the shock of Wally and to the amusement of Clark. "Bart, Barry, Wally, me, Billy, and Clark. Race around the world. First one back is the fastest man alive."

"Sounds good-" Bart started, before being cut off by Billy.

"Woah, wait, ME?!"

Wally smirked at the fifteen-year old. "Yeah, you, Mr. Speed-of-Mercury. Or is that failing you, along with your Courage of Achilles?"

Billy's mouth became a frown, blue eyes narrowed, and Clark, who had finally figured out what was happening, let out a half-amused, half-resigned sigh.

"This is going to be fun."

* * *

The three speedsters, the two Kryptonians, and the god-empowered Billy were lined up behind the starting line. A few feet behind them was the finish. The goal was to be the first to race around the world.

Most of the League and the Team were on the sidelines, preparing to (try) and time the fastest one among them. Batman, the Atom, Professor Carr, and Dr. Strange had also rigged a super-enhanced camera, hoping to capture solid evidence of whoever crossed the finish line first.

"Remember," Black Canary said to the six, reiterating the rules a final time, "no flying, heat vision, lightning bolts, super-strength, or tripping during the race. Also, try to stay in your respective 'lane', if you please."

"On your mark," M'gann began counting down, "get set...GO!"

There was a great _whoosh_ of air as all six took off. Then one, two, three, four, five, six booms were heard, one after the other, indicating the breaking of the sound barrier.

"We should've gotten a police scanner to see how fast they were going," Robin lamented. Well, they'd remember it next time.

* * *

Wally was the fourth to break the sound barrier, just before Captain Marvel and right after Bart. Flash and Superman were currently tied, but Barry was pulling ahead while Bart was gaining on both of them. Suddenly a blur shot past, and Wally realized Captain Marvel had passed him. Stupid Speed of Mercury.

Superboy was still behind him, and so Wally slackened his pace so they were running side by side. "First time breaking the sound barrier Supey?!"

"Yeah," Conner called back. "I knew I could do it, but I've never really used my super speed much...plus the human DNA means I'm not nearly as fast as Kal."

Wally nodded. "Yeah. I always thought that since I did the experiment the exact same way Barry did, I'd be just as fast. The fact that I'm so much slower is somewhat maddening."

"Speaking of which, we're really far behind," Kon noted.

"Oh well. Let's just cross together. Then no one loses and we both still have our dignity."

* * *

"Holy speedsters!" Robin yelped as four reddish blurs flashed past. Buttons were instinctively clicked on all stopwatches, and Captain Atom and Martian Manhunter, who had been ready to brace the camera, grimaced as they kept the device steady.

"So, Atom, who won?" J'onn asked as Dr. Palmer began to appear as he increased his molecules' size.

"Well I beat Superman!" Captain Marvel announced excitedly. The Blue Boy Scout scoffed.

"I tripped. I think it was a squirrel. I would've won otherwise."

Marvel just stuck his tongue out, as the Team chuckled at the appearance of a black blur and a yellow-and-red streak?

"Finally," Wonder Girl laughed as Superboy and Kid Flash jogged by the finish line. "What took you so long?"

"Human DNA. Not as fast as Supes," Conner panted.

"Just not as fast. Told you," an equally exhausted Wally managed.

"Well, Barry won-"

"Ha!"

"With Bart barely a nanosecond behind him."

"Well, I'm almost there, gramps!"

"Then Captain Marvel, then Superman, and KF and Superboy tied."

Captain Marvel pumped his fist as Superboy and Kid Flash high-fived; Wally then proceeded to pass out. Everyone gathered laughed, even as Artemis approached to haul her unconscious boyfriend to a bed with easy access to food.

Meanwhile, Barry stuck his hand out toward a somewhat incredulous Clark. "Told you we were faster."


	4. Godzilla

**_Godzilla_**

_(662): They're both coked to the gills having a shouting match about the powers and abilities of Godzilla. And using the Wikipedia entry on the topic to support their respective arguments._

"Oh...my...gosh."

"Are...are they serious?"

"I think so."

The Team had gathered in the main hall, near the Zeta tubes, and watched in awe as Robin and Blue Beetle had a shouting match about the powers of Godzilla. The scary part was that they both had drawn up Wikipedia, and were using the entry on Godzilla as support for their respective arguments,

It also didn't help that apparently, Blue's Scarab kept butting in every five words.

"I'm telling you, Blue, Godzilla totally has nuclear-based powers. I mean, he represents the first atomic bombs dropped in World War Two. It makes sense."

"_Hermano_, you are so wrong. First off, I'll concede that obviously his mutation comes from radiation, but he shouldn't have any other powers. I mean - Scarab, would you shut up already?! I'm aware of that, I was getting to that! Was that sarcasm? I don't know whether to be proud of you or-"

"Uh, Blue? You gonna finish your argument or not?"

"Oh, right. Anyway, Godzilla's only remarkable and consistent feature is the ability to breathe underwater. Therefore, that's its only other notable attribute."

"Well the article clearly states that he has other powers, like an atomic pulse, fireballs, eye beams, precognition, magnetism, and even flight!"

"But - Scarab, stop agreeing with him! But the article also states that those powers are added only in comics, games, and TV shows. Never were those in the actual movie!"

"Well, I'm pretty sure that those _do_ count because they were still viewed by the public and therefore-!"

"No way. Nope."

"Well in the movie it _did_ have atomic breath. See - right there! 'Godzilla's signature weapon is it's atomic breath, blue or red radioactive fire that is unleashed from its jaws while its dorsal fins glow.' What do you have to say about that?"

"...Alright, fine, but he - _Scarab would you just shut up already?!"_

"Ha! Your Scarab keeps agreeing with me - ergo, I'm right!"

"_NO YOU'RE NOT! I WILL NOT ACCEPT DEFEAT! _I'll give you the atomic breath thing but other than that his only other 'power' is to breath underwater and be a giant monster created from nuclear radiation!"

"Oi," Conner finally sighed, walking toward the training room. The rest of the gathered team glanced at him for a second as Jaime and Tim continued their argument, oblivious. "Let me know when they're done. If anyone needs me I'll be beating up some punching bags."


	5. Clans

Heavily inspired by "Kinship" by_ sour gummies._

* * *

**_Clans_**

On his first day Garfield Logan, aka Beast Boy, is immediately accepted into what could be called the "Martian Clan".

Cassie Sandsmark, aka Wonder Girl, forms a "Wonder Clan" with Wonder Woman; La'gaan fills the holes in the "Aqua-Clan"; and the Bat Clan loses one member, the second Robin, only to gain Nightwing back along with the third Robin and Batgirl.

Blue Beetle can't help but notice that _he_ has no Clan. Perhaps he could try to form one with Bumblebee, a 'bug' clan of sorts, but she has The Atom - they have a sort of "Shrinking Clan" vibe, and he doesn't want to ruin it.

And with Virgil Hawkins, now calling himself Static, joining the team and gaining Black Lightning as a mentor, a "Lightning Clan" has formed too.

Of course there's the Super Clan, the Arrow Clan, a Flash Clan, hell even Icon and Rocket formed their own little "Alien Clan" with the Hawks; the Lanterns have their little Clan; and Zatanna's loose ties with Dr. Fate still even warrant a "Magic Clan" to be recognized.

At one point there was even a Marvel Clan; no one really ever figured out what happened with Lieutenant and Sergeant Marvel, but Captain Marvel never seems to want to talk about it.

So, hey, maybe he could form his "no real Clan" club with Billy, and invite Captain Atom, Red Tornado, Plastic Man, and - well, no, Black Canary is part of the Arrow Clan by default, so that wouldn't work.

But it doesn't fill that _need_ for a mentor of his own...

Jaime needs Ted Kord. He needs the Blue Beetle. He wants to _belong_, he wants to _have someone who understands what the heck he's going through right now._

If only B'arzz hadn't lost his Scarab and had stayed with the League. Maybe then he could've formed a Beetle Clan.

Or...maybe he should go and find Tye, and join his old friend along with Asami and Eduardo and form a...a Misfits Clan of sorts.

_But he can't leave the Team because despite having no mentor and no Clan they're still like his second family now and he just **can't** abandon them, he **can't.**_

He stares up at Ted's memorial, and scowls at it, because he realizes that the man never wore the armor but he still could've helped Jaime with the hero stuff if-

But it's wrong to blame having no Clan on Ted. The guy sacrificed himself to _save_ the Scarab, to _save Khaji Da_, and without Khaji...

Jaime shudders to think of what could happen.

So amidst the Clans that form between Team and League members Jaime mingles with them all and begins to realize that Clans, while nice, are a little overrated.

Time passes, and more Clans come and go but Jaime never forms one because _he doesn't need one anymore._

After all, what need have he for a Clan when he has his mentor attached to his spine and in his head all the time?

_No Khaji, that was rhetorical - alright, you got sarcasm down, but we definitely have to work on your understanding of things like rhetoric next._


	6. Expectations

**_Expectations_**

The mantle of Kid Flash was not supposed to be passed on to him this way.

Bart Allen looked at the yellow and red costume in his hands, and then to the paler cream and red-maroon costume hanging in the new Flash trophy vault in the Watchtower - next to the Blue Beetle one, and the Bat one.

He clenched the material in his hands. It wasn't the one Ki-_Wally _had been wearing...because how could they get a costume that disintegrated? It wasn't even one of Wally's at all; Barry had had it custom made for Bart's smaller stature.

But he wanted it to be Wally's.

He wanted Wally to have given it to him, at the very least.

* * *

"You look just like him, you know."

Bart blinked as he looked away from the memorial to Kid Fl-Wally. "Pardon?"

"Wally," Tigress clarified, walking over to the memorial. "You look just like Wally."

"Oh." Bart sighed, looking away. He didn't know what else to say.

She sighed and took of the tiger-like mask. "Bart, stop blaming yourself."

Bart spun around before she even finished her sentence. "Don't blame myself? _Don't blame myself!_ Artemis, if I had slowed down just a little more, Wally would still be alive!"

"And you might be dead!" Artemis snapped.

Bart flinched, frozen for the moment. Then he turned his head down, and muttered under his breath, "It would've been better if I had been the one killed."

Artemis blanched. "Bart! How...How could you think that?"

"The future's changed, Artemis," Bart whispered, barely aware that he had sunken onto a bench. Artemis gently sat down next to him as he continued, oblivious. "I...I shouldn't still exist, or...at least, I shouldn't exist in this timeline anymore. With the future change I should have disintegrated...not Wally. What if I screw up this timeline and my parents never meet and I'm never born? I don't get it, Artemis -_ it should've been me!"_

By this point Bart had tears streaming down his face. Artemis pulled the speedster in close, hugging him tightly.

"Bart," she whispered, "Bart, you saved the world. And Wally...Wally knew what he was doing." Bart was still quiet, so Artemis sighed. "There's...more, isn't there?"

Bart was still quiet, tears silently streaming down his face from his green eyes...that looked so much like...

Artemi. Sighed, and turned to look up at the memorial, waiting for Bart to reply.

She almost missed said reply.

"I don't feel worthy enough to be Kid Flash."

Artemis turned back to the young speedster as he continued: "Everyone seems to have these great expectations of me now. Like I'm supposed to be exactly like Wally now. And I don't know if I can live up to that."

"Bart." Slowly (for a speedster) he turned to look at her. "I know it's hard. When I first joined the Team I know I felt I had so much to prove. But you've already proved yourself - especially to Jaime and Gar. And, you know what? I don't expect anything more from what you can give - but none of us will take anything less."

Bart gazed at her for a long moment, and then - he smiled. He smiled genuinely behind the tears, and Artemis found herself smiling too.

"Thanks, Artemis," he murmured. And faster than she could process, he was hugging her - and she hugged him back.

* * *

He had a lot to live up to, he knew.

But he would make Wally proud.


	7. Lightspeed

**_Lightspeed_**

He was going faster than he ever thought he could go.

_Still too slow. Still too slow._

But it wasn't what he thought it would be. This place was barren, devoid of life...

_Can't save them, can't save them..._

He wandered, alone, _alone forever alone foreveralone_

_Artemis_

_Gone_

_I'm sorry I'msosorry_

He couldn't control himself here, had no say in what his body did. He _couldn't slow down_.

He wanted his parents. He wanted Uncle Barry, cousin Bart...Dick...Kaldur..._Artemis..._

If he squinted he could see through the haze of _lightlightlight_, see his _home..._ and they were _safe_. Artemis was safe.

But he couldn't tell her he was safe too.

Sometimes he'd catch a glimpse of his memorial in the Tower - and _look they operate out of the Watchtower now, way to go Team_ - and always either Flash, Captain Marvel, Nightwing, Blue Beetle (a surprise), Impulse (or Kid Flash now - _go Bart!_), or Artemis - as Tigress now - would be there.

Once Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman were there. To see the Big Three honoring him together had made him want to cry.

_But for some reason he can't cry here_

He heard Barry talk about it once - the Speed Force, he'd called it. Hawkwoman had managed to pull him out, with help from the Green Lanterns and Hawkman. Barry had vowed never to go that fast again.

_Lightspeed._

Wally was trapped now, forever going at lightspeed to an unknown destination away from his friends and family and _home._

Going fast wasn't as amazing as he'd thought it would be.


	8. Nightly Occurances

This started in one direction and then ran off in another. Oh well, I hope it still makes sense.

* * *

**_Nightly Occurances_**

_(609): We almost died tonight...We almost die every night. But tonight was the closest by far._

_Louisiana Bayou  
__March 8, 2011, 15:21 EST_

"Move it!"

Robin roughly shoved Zatanna out of the way as Joker made to strike her. The Boy Wonder engaged his hometown enemy, whlie Zatanna turned in time to see Wotan land a successful hit on Aqualad.

"_Etaerc dalauqA snoisulli_!"

As more Aqualads formed and Zatanna rushed over to assist, Red Arrow successfully landed a hit on Poison Ivy before she could attack Artemis, who no longer had a bow. The blonde archer managed to pull out her emergency crossbow though, and was then firing at Atomic Skull.

"Why'd you guys come back anyway?" Kid Flash inquired as he nimbly dodged Ultra-Humanite's attacks. "Vertigo is still imprisoned for treason against Queen Perdita - you're a man down, and we're four men up!"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Joker hissed, before being knocked to the ground courtesy of Rocket.

Superboy, meanwhile, was dodging stray attacks from Black Adam while he and Captain Marvel dueled it out. Magic was beginning to fly and the Boy of Steel was not sure he wanted to be a part of that particular fight.

_"Conner, help Red Arrow take out Poison Ivy. I'm going ahead to finish the mission objective."_

_"Got it, M'gann. Be careful."_

With new purpose, Conner rushed over to Red Arrow's location as Miss Martian, who had been helping dissolve plants with her telekinesis. She quickly camouflaged herself and darted through the battles, heading for the abandoned warehouse the Injustice League was so persistently guarding.

"So what's the deal, Joker?" Robin gritted out as Rocket barely managed to throw a force field around the Boy Wonder, protecting him from Joker's knives. "What do you guys have to gain from this?"

"The Light promised much," the madman hissed. "We always were allied with them, you know. Shame your crusade to stop them ends here."

Far above, Captain Marvel and Black Adam were fighting like there was no tomorrow. (Hey, maybe there wasn't.) Of course, when Black Adam brought magic into play, Billy was a bit overwhelmed - but hey, he was working on it.

_"Conner,_" he hissed over the mental link, "_can you punch him hard if I throw him down?"_

_"Sure."_

_"Awesome."_ And so Captain Marvel managed to grab Black Adam's wrists, twisted him around, and hit him as hard as he could down to Earth. Superboy was waiting, and punched the protector-gone-evil - into Poison Ivy.

"Nice!" Red Arrow shouted, giving a thumbs up. The red-head then yelped and had to dodge, though, as Atomic Skull aimed a blast toward him.

Robin, too, yelped as he tripped over a root as he tried to dodge the Joker's advances. The madman loomed over him, grinning widely. "Fools. You can't stop us. One way or another..."

And Robin's eyes went wide behind the mask as the Joker pulled out a bright red button.

"We win."

* * *

_Mount Justice  
March 8, 2011, 23:03 EST_

"_NO!"_ Robin screeched, bolting upright. He panted heavily, looking around. The walls were the blanch white of the infirmary, and around him, groaning, lay various members of the Team, along with Red Arrow and Billy.

"What..." Robin looked toward the door, and sure enough Batman was there, with Red Tornado and Black Canary trailing behind him. "What happened after Joker...?"

"The bomb went off," Batman muttered. "Luckily, Superboy managed to get to Miss Martian quick enough and shielded her from most of the blast. But the bomb let out Joker Venom a few minutes after it went off. Captain Marvel barely managed to contact us before he too succumbed. You guys got lucky."

Robin blinked, letting it sink in.

"Man," Wally said, finally breaking the silence. "We almost died last night, huh?"

"Kid Idiot, we almost die every night," Artemis hissed, smacking her boyfriend.

"But last night was the closest by far," Roy pointed out.

"Closest _so_ far," Billy corrected. The ten-year-old then frowned. "Wait, I don't remember turning back. When did that happen?"

"You laughed out 'Shazam' at some point before we managed to get you guys out," Black Canary told him, amusement in her eyes.

"Oh."

"Well that was fun," Roy mumbled, laying back down on his bed. "Remind me to stop teaming up with you guys. I'm definitely less safe."

"Puh-lease," Raquel said, rolling her eyes. "You're just jealous you don't get to almost die every night."

"Yeah, _of course_."

"Oi vey," Batman mumbled as he, Tornado, and Canary left the infirmary. "Maybe we should stop sending them on such potentially hazardous missions."

"They do always seem to blow their cover and almost get killed."

"Canary, that really is not helping."


	9. Identity

**_Identity_**

Dick Grayson wanted nothing more than to tell his friends his secret identity.

Robin knew this was not really an option.

Sure, Wally knew it, but he had been Robin's first friend in a long time and...well, hey, he was ten at the time.

(Though Billy, at ten, still managed to successfully lie to the entire League sans Batman about his identity and age...maybe Robin needed to take lessons from the kid.)

Everyone else knew each other, knew who they were behind the mask (or skin, in M'gann's case). Only one knew who Robin was.

At fourteen, Robin decided that would have to change.

He shed the red and yellow and donned black and blue (a warning, perhaps, to villains in this way). If he was letting his identity out, then perhaps he should change from Robin to...someone else.

Besides, that Jason kid Bruce picked up a few weeks ago had good Robin potential.

Thus, Nightwing was born, and the original Team learned of who fought with them behind the mask.

"I'm Dick Grayson."

"Dude, finally!"

"Really? That's your name?"

"...Well it's really Richard but-"

"I do not understand, what is wrong with the name Dick?"

"Uh...who wants to explain that?"

"Now I know why I didn't tell you guys sooner..."


	10. Strength

Had this fully written and before I could save my iPad died. Curses. Here's attempt 2.

**_Strength_**

Captain Marvel had the Strength of Hercules. Billy Batson had the strength of your average ten-year-old- and that, admittedly, was not a lot.

Captain Marvel could tangle with Superman, Wonder Woman, and all the other super-strong superheroes - and super villains. Billy Batson admired the powerless superheroes, like the Bats and the Arrows.

But there was more to a superhero than just physical strength.

He had asked Jason Todd, the second Robin, about this once. The two were comparing life as street rats (and Jason's was, admittedly, much more horrible than Billy's time on the streets), when Billy simply blurted it out.

"How do you guys keep up with the metas?"

Jason laughed. "We just believe we're strong enough. I mean, obviously you-" he poked Billy in the chest - "and I can make it. We survived the streets, after all."

After that he decided that he really liked having Jason as a friend.

* * *

When Jason died Bruce was obviously hit the hardest, but Dick and Billy we're mourning much more intensely than their friends.

"He had the strength to make it," Billy whispered.

"Even the hardest rocks can shatter with enough damage, Billy."

The thirteen-year-old sniffled. "Nightwing, how do you guys make it in Gotham, with all the...deaths?"

Dick sighed. "You don't harden your heart, as much as Batman tries to tell us that's what he did. No, you have to strengthen it, and learn to carry on."

So Billy decided he had to carry on - for Jason.

* * *

They would never admit it, but Billy was the moral strength of the League and the Team. Captain Marvel could protect them from bombs and bullets, but Billy Batson helped them carry on through times of doubt and grief.

That, Billy knew now, was the type of strength that mattered.


	11. Voices

**_Voices_**

Some of them had little voices in their heads. Sometimes they shared, usually with just Dinah but occasionally the whole team would know.

Most of the time they kept it quiet, and dealt with the voices on their own.

* * *

M'gann know her uncle J'onn feels the same way about all the incessant buzzing in her head.

A downside of being a telepath is that you can never really turn it off. Always there is some fragment of people's minds pushing at yours, thoughts surfacing every now and then but usually a mishmash of emotions.

M'gann is used to it on Mars, because that is how everyone talks on Mars - telepathically. But here, on Earth, telepathy is frowned upon unless it is invited.

So M'gann really wants to shut off her brain sometimes - because not only is it rude, but also the thoughts of Earthlings can be downright...savage.

Of course the Team knows. With so many telepathic links over the years their minds are more attuned to Martian telepathy, making it easier for M'gann to connect. (Even then sometimes she wishes she can't - there are private thoughts that surface and it's everything she can do to force them away.)

But the voices never stop. M'gann is usually okay with that though, and she's not sure she should be.

* * *

Having a piece of alien technology attached to one's spine is one thing. But if said alien technology is sentient and can talk...well.

It's even worse if only the person it bonds with can hear it.

Such is the fate of Jaime Reyes, the boy who talks to the Scarab digging into his spine while everyone around him thinks he's crazy, schizophrenic.

He tells Conner, eventually. And Bart figures it out fairly quickly. He's not sure if he wants to tell anyone else.

It shouldn't matter. He doesn't really care what they think, and they don't care about his personal issues, so long as the mission is successful.

Sometimes though, the Scarab won't _shut up_, and sometimes Jaime yells at it when other people are talking and they think he's yelling at them.

Such is life, apparently.

(Though sometimes, having a voice in your head to tell you you did fairly well on your math test for not having studied or to show pride for taking down an enemy is...kind of sort of maybe a little bit _nice_.)

* * *

He knows they think Zatara is gone forever. They're wrong.

Nabu is constantly in communication with his human host. Giovanni Zatara can see and hear everything that goes on, and will give Nabu advice on what to say in some instances or will simply voice his own opinions on a situation.

By now, Nabu is used to the voices. After all, his hosts need to communicate with him in some way, and see that he's taking care of their shared body.

Sometimes the hosts are a little freaked out in the beginning but then it becomes routine.

What Nabu tells no one, not even his hosts, is that it's _nice_ to have someone to talk to in between the sometimes centuries of waiting for a new host. Even Lords of Order need companionship.

* * *

Most of his powers don't come over with him when he changes. Surprisingly, the Wisdom of Solomon does - and it comes as a little voice in the back of his head.

Billy Batson is used to the Wisdom of Solomon as Captain Marvel, and simply lets it flow. When he's trying to be just Billy Batson, though, it gets a little difficult.

For one thing, the communication isn't perfect and the Wisdom only shows up when it feels it is needed. On that note, the Wisdom is a nagging little voice in the back of his mind when it shows up, like his conscience except it can _argue__ with him._

Those days are the worst. (Or the best, sometimes. It really depends on the day.)

No one on the League knows of this, of course, except maybe Nabu. Zatanna probably knows too, but he's not sure and he really doesn't want to tell them about it - because as Captain Marvel, it's normal, but as Billy Batson it can get a little...freaky.

(But on rainy nights when he's trying to finish his homework before bedtime Billy finds the Wisdom of Solomon comes in handy and if he ever feels alone he'll purposely try to get the Wisdom of Solomon to advise him because it provides _company_, and everyone needs company every now and then.)

* * *

In the Speed Force, going at lightspeed, there are voices everywhere.

Wally West can hear everyone he cares about - snippets of conversation, flying by just like the blur of the world.

_It's not fair it's not it's not he wants them he wants to go back please please please let me go_

Wally uses the voices as a source of comfort.

He finally catches a snippet of conversation about _him_, and he knows then - they're trying to find a way to him.

They really want him to come back home - where he can properly hear their voices again.


	12. Family

**_Family_**

Familial issues are fairly common amongst heroes, Wally notices. Not all heroes heave the same pasts, though - Wally himself is loved by his parents, Aunt Iris, and Uncle Barry - the Flash.

Before the Dr. Fate incident, Zatanna had a loving father too. Now that's been ripped from her, though, and Wally can't help but think that none of it is fair.

Richard Grayson, his best friend, had his parents taken from him at age 9. His mentor, Bruce Wayne, lost his parents at around the same age.

Kaldur never knew who his parents were, but still he grew up in the safety of Atlantis at least.

Artemis's parents and sister were cons...or ex-cons, in the case of her mother (who was actually very nice once you got to know her).

And Billy - how could he forget Billy? His parents were taken from him at age 5 or 6, and he was out on the streets running from his greedy uncle by age 7. (Consequentailly he met the wizard Shazam and became Captain Marvel, and also met his new "uncle" Dudley, but even that wasn't until another year or two later.)

M'gann grew up shunned because of her skin. Conner had no technical parents, and was force grown in a pod. Raquel grew up in a crime ridden neighborhood where it was every man for himself.

Clark was the last of his kind. Shayera and Katar were cut off from their people. Icon didn't even know if any of his race still existed.

Roy's father had died in a forest fire. Despite being a clone, their Roy still took it hard.

The list could go on (if Wally knew more about the Leaguers than just the basics), but in the end Wally found it never really mattered.

They - the Team and the League - formed their own little family, where heroes of all backgrounds were welcome.


End file.
